Leading Strategic Change in Higher Education Professor Zahir Irani, Dean and Head of Brunel Business School

Leading Strategic Change in Higher Education Professor Zahir Irani, Dean and Head of Brunel Business School HPLP (Harvard), PhD (Brunel), MPhil (Salford), B.Eng (Hons) (Salford)

Defining Leadership • Leading People • Influencing People • Commanding People • Guiding People 5

Defining Leadership • Leadership is a means of directingi.e. is concerned with a sense of direction and vision and the delivery of that vision • Leadership involves working with others, probably in teams, and the maintenance of relationship • Leadership is careful and relentless process that involves attention to details 6

Defining Leadership • A leader’s actions are devoted to helping a group to attain its objectives • Leadership is the ability of management to inducesubordinates to work towards group goalswith confidence • Leadership is not about managing things but about developing people The Basement 7

Defining Leadership • Leadership has been defined as: “process of social influence in which one person can enlist the aid and support of others in the accomplishment of a common task” “Leadership is ultimately about creating a way for people to contribute to making something extraordinary happen” 9

Mandela’s 8 Lessons of Leadership Courage is not the Absence of Fear • Courage is not the absence of fear – it’s inspiring others to move beyond it • You cannot pretend that you are brave and that you can beat the whole world • But as a leader, you cannot let people know – you must put up a front • Keep your friends close – and your rivals even closer • Embracing your rivals is a way of controlling them • Competitors are more dangerous on their own than within your circle of influence • Cherish loyalty but taking into consideration that people act in their own interest • Know your Competitor – and learn about his favourite sport • By speaking your opponent’s language you might understand their strengths and weaknesses and formulate tactics accordingly • Lead from the Back – and let others believe that they are in front • Do not enter the debate to early - only after all had spoken do the king begins to speak • It is wise to persuade people to do things and make them think it was their own idea • Appearance matters – and remember to smile • Forget the past – the smile is the message • Nothing is Black or White – why not both? • Life is never either/or • Decisions are complex, there are always competing factors – nothing is ever straightforward as it appears • 11 • Quitting is Leading too • Knowing how to abandon a failed idea/task is often the most difficult kind of decision a leader has to make00 • Lead from the Front – but do not leave your base behind • Communicate your strategy with each member of your group – take your support base with your Quitting is Leading too Lead from the Front Leadership Nothing is Black or White Lead from the Back Appearances Matter Know your Competitor Keep your Friends close – and Rivals even Closer Lead 10

So Who is a Great Leader? • Live with integrity, lead by example • Develop a winning strategy or “big idea” • Build a great management team • Inspire employees to greatness • Create a flexible, responsive organisation • Use reinforcing management systems 12

So Who is a Great Leader? • Passionate about what they do • Love to talk about it • High energy • Clarity of thinking • Communicate to diverse audience • Work through people (empowering) 13

Characteristics of Leadership • A leader needs a clear and challenging vision– which he/she will define, a magic with words, the ability to motivate others, the courage to stay on course and the persistence not to lose hope • So what are the characteristics of an individual leader? 14

Characteristics of Leadership • Intelligence, and a desire to solve complex problems or discover patterns in events • Initiative, and the ability to perceive the need for action and to do something about it; this is often related to energy and stamina • Self-assurance, and self-confidence to believe in what they/you are doing; this is related to the individual’s perception of their role in society and aspirations • The helicopter trait, which is a descriptive term for the ability to understand a situation at different levels of detail Leadership 15

Skills of a Leader • The basic aimof the leader is to succeed in completing the task set with the help of his/her group • An effective leader will need to inspire confidenceandtrustso that there is maximum cooperation from the group • To achieve the above, leader needs certain skills e.g.: 17

Skills of a Leader • Sufficient knowledge of the set task to be able to lead the group effectively • Knowledge of the group, their skills and their weaknesses • Understanding of the precise requirements needed from the group • Ability to communicate clearly and succinctly • Ability to make decisions, sometimes under pressure • An understanding of human nature to appreciate that attitude of the group • Ability to motivate the group Leadership 18

Exercise for Impact Kindly stand up & close your eyes What do you believe is the point of this exercise? 20

Leading the Way The purpose of the exercise is to highlight the importance of having a leader who points everybody in the same direction to achieve team/business success 21

Factors Affecting Leadership Styles • Leadership style may be dependent on various factors: • Risk - decision making and change initiatives based on degree of risk involved • Type of business – creative business or supply driven? • How vital change is – change for change’s sake? • Organisational culture – may be difficult to change • Nature of the task – needing cooperation? Direction? Structure? Leadership or Management? Quotation 29

Leadership Implementation Strategy • Leadership requires a relentless determination to focus on: Get the Big Picture Right Uncover and Collaborate Build Trust Elicit Genuine Buy-in Focus on Progress 31

Implementation Strategy Get the Big Picture Right Uncover and Collaborate Build Trust Elicit Genuine Buy-in Focus on Progress 32

Innovative Leadership But what is Innovation? • Innovation can be described based on 5 types • Individual and People – Improvement (acquire new knowledge or do things in different ways) • Product – A new product (Washing Machine, iPod) • Service – A new way of providing a service (Direct Line) • Process – To improve efficiency: • Implement IT/IS in businesses, services and management (e.g. e-Commerce, B2B, etc.) • Moving assembly line in manufacturing or a theme park • Organisational – Department, Process/Product, Team and Individual 42

Innovative Leadership Knowledge Transfer Technology Transfer Social Change Innovation is about … 43

Innovative Leadership Leading Innovation • You do not expect your team to be innovative if they do not know the direction in which they are heading • Have a vision and appetite for change • Set the course and give bearing for the future • Mission? Core purpose? Or Vision?... • Whichever you choose, there should be one overarching statement that defines the direction for the ‘business’ and is understood and remembered 44

Innovative Leadership Making an Impact as an Innovative Leader • A leaders must recognise and avoid five traps that he or she can fall into: • Focusing too much on details • Responding negatively to criticism • Intimidating others • Jumping to conclusions • Micromanaging • If the team does well, the leader always gets the glory. • Work hard at ensuring you have the right team membership – Your success depends on it! 45

Six Thinking Hats – To Evaluate Innovative Ideas or Formulate Teams The information hat when people ask for more information or data to analyse the problem. Expressing emotions hat to avoid hidden reasons for opposing or supporting a proposal (political motivation). The optimism hat when everyone in turn has to say what is good about the proposal – Even if you hate the idea! The hat of Pessimism when everyone has to find faults with the idea – Even if it was your idea and you are very proud of it! The hat of Creativity for developing creative solutions to the identified problems. A Leader’s hat to control the process – directing people to the appropriate hat as required: - Contingency= Yellow / Black - Ideas are dry = Green 46

Identifying Effective Leaders Identifying Effective Leaders in your Institute • They are representative of their colleagues but not always popular • As communicators they are continually striving for more efficient and more inclusive communication structures, networks and processes • Usually skilled in the art of managing • They are analysts and scenario planners • They are advocates of the institution and cultivate relationships with various groups and individuals on campus and increasingly off-campus 47

Identifying Effective Leaders Leadership Best Practices in UK Higher Education – Sustaining Quality • The implementation and impact of policy, strategyand core processes will be more successful if closely coupled with leadership • Government requirements are best met if “policy and strategy” are seen as an integral part of the key responsibilities of leadership 48

Identifying Effective Leaders Leadership Best Practices in UK Higher Education – Sustaining Quality • Leadership should be separated from policy, strategy, and process ownership as appears to be the case in the EFQM excellence model 49

Identifying Effective Leaders Competencies for Effective Leadership in UK Higher Education 50

Theme 2: Leadership and Management 51

Leadership and Management • Leadership is about setting a new direction or vision for a group that they follow • Management controls or directs people/resources in a group according to principles or values that have already been established • A Leader is Followed and the ManagerRules 52

Leadership and Management • A leader is someone who people naturally follow through their own choice, whereas a manager must be obeyed • A leader may have no organisational skills, but his vision unites people behind him • A manager may only have obtained his position of authority through time and loyalty given to the university 53

Leadership and Management 54

Leadership vs. Management • Leaders and managers can be differentiated based on some common activities – such as: 55

Leadership vs. Management Planning Phase Leaders Managers • Devising Strategies • Setting Directions • Creating Visions • Planning • Budgeting • Setting Budgets • Establishing Detailed Steps • Allocating Resources 56

Leadership vs. Management Organising Phase Leaders Managers • Gets people on board for strategy • Facilitating effecting communication • Creating efficient networks • Creating structures • Jobs descriptions • Staffing • Hierarchy • Delegates • Training 57

Leadership vs. Management Directing Work Phase Leaders Managers • Empowers people • Cheerleader • Solves problems • Negotiates • Brings to consensus 58

Leadership vs. Management Controlling Phase Leaders Managers • Motivating people • Inspiring colleagues and staff • Provides a sense of accomplishment • Implements control systems • Performance measures • Identifies variances • Fixes variances 59

Leadership vs. Management The Relationship of Vision, Strategies, Plans and Budgets Vision A sensible and appealing picture of the future A logic of how the vision can be achieved Specific steps and timetables to implement the strategies Plans converted into financial projections and goals Leadership Creates Strategies Plans Management Creates Budgets 60

Leading Strategic Change in Higher Education Professor Zahir Irani, Dean and Head of Brunel Business School